Leave a Legacy

Kevin Spafford is Farm Journal’s succession planning expert for the Farm Journal Legacy Project.He hosts the nationally-televised ‘Leave a Legacy’ TV, facilitates an ongoing series of workshops for farm families across the U.S., and is the author of Legacy by Design: Succession Planning for Agribusiness Owners.

Important Lessons for Successors

I asked Kimberly Clauss, California dairy producer and member of the Sustainability Council of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, "What advice would you give anaspiring agripreneur? How would you respond to a college student asking for the keys to success in our industry?"

Clauss replied: "One of the best things I did in college, and then right when I finished, was internships. [Working outside the family operation] gets you out, forces you to be involved and gives you experience. A lot of times, those internships can actually lead to jobs.

"Once you’re involved in the family operation, you need to ask a lot of questions, no matter what. And the most important thing you need to do is to listen. Listen to what other people are saying, and take the information to make your decisions. Thencommunicate."

Join us at theElite Producer Business Conference, Nov. 8 through 10 in Las Vegas, NV. This year’s theme is Dairy at the Crossroads. Take something valuable home from Vegas…and be sure to catch Kevin Spafford’s Leave a Legacy presentation on Nov. 9.